


A Spoonful of Sugar

by AnaliseGrey



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M, Sickfic, bet you didn't think I could write fluff huh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 15:39:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17286812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnaliseGrey/pseuds/AnaliseGrey
Summary: Molly goes home sick from work, and Caleb swoops in to care for him like the loving boyfriend he is.





	A Spoonful of Sugar

_BlueMeanie: Go home to your boyfriend._

 

Caleb looked at the text, considered a moment, then hit dial.

Beau was charming as always when she answered. “What part of that text was unclear?”

“Uh, none of it especially, but I thought he still had a second show this afternoon. Did something happen?”

He heard Beau say something muffled, the sound of a scuffle, a yelp of pain, and then it was Nott’s voice on the line. “Your idiot thought performing while sick was a great idea and he just about passed out at the end of his first performance. Yasha was taking him home to be sure he got there okay, but she has to come back.”

Caleb knew Molly’d been feeling under the weather, but he’d kept reassuring Caleb he was fine, continuing to go to practice for the festival that was taking place. They’d barely seen each other over the last week, mostly in passing and at night, between Caleb’s end-of-semester chaos and Molly getting in extra practice sessions. There were two shows today, the last day of the festival, and they’d been looking forward to spending some time together since Caleb was turning in the last of his grades today.

“ _Ja_ , ok, I’ll be there soon.”

Caleb made a few stops before heading home, and spent most of the car ride back to their apartment  worrying. Molly hadn’t seemed that bad last he’d talked to him- maybe a little flushed, perhaps a little congested, but when Caleb had asked if he was alright, Molly had waved him off with a smile and an assurance he was alright. Caleb, up to his eyeballs in grading, had not been at his most observant in that moment.

He parked the car in the small lot next to their building, grabbed the bags from the passenger seat, and made his way inside. The whole trip up the stairs his worry grew, wondering how bad it had to be if they’d sent Molly home before the second performance. Nott had said he’d almost passed out; that sounded serious.

He got in through the front door and set the bags down, unlacing his shoes and setting them aside before following the quiet sounds of the television into the living room.

The tv was on to the cooking channel, Molly’s favorite channel, but Caleb couldn’t immediately spot him anywhere. After another moment’s looking, he was clued in by a snuffle from the couch and moved closer, peering over the arm.

Molly was curled up on his side under a mound of blankets, shivering and seemingly asleep. Caleb moved to kneel in front of him and brushed Molly’s hair off his forehead. He leaned forward to press his lips there, concerned at the heat he felt emanating from the tiefling and the light fuschia flush high on his cheeks; Molly usually ran warm, but this was hot even for him. At the press of lips, Molly stirred, blinking open glassy eyes to peer at Caleb, and Caleb moved his hand to cup the side of Molly’s face.

“ _Liebling_ , why didn’t you say you were so ill? They could have done without you until you were better.”

Molly shook his head, shivering again and looking abjectly miserable. “Didn’t want to disappoint anyone. Thought I’d be okay.”

Caleb winced in sympathy at the sound of Molly’s voice; it was quiet and scratchy, and sounded like he’d been swallowing glass instead of the fire he used in his act. Caleb levered himself up to his feet. “I need to grab a few things from near the door. I’ll be right back.”

He returned a moment later with the bags, and started unpacking them onto the coffee table. Normally, Molly would be half-climbing over his shoulder to see what there was, but Molly had barely moved, and was watching Caleb listlessly through half-lidded eyes.

“Have you taken anything yet?”

Molly shook his head with another snuffle, and burrowed further down under the blankets. “No, didn’t have time to stop and buy anything and we’re out.”

“Ah. It is a good thing I stopped, then.” Caleb set a box of cold and flu tablets on the coffee table, quickly followed by a packet of tissues and a box of Molly’s favorite tea from Caduceus’s shop. “I’m going to get some water boiling for tea, and get you a glass of water to take these with, alright?”

“Mmhmm.” Molly’s eyes had already drifted shut, and Caleb leaned over to press a kiss to the top of his head before taking the box of tea and heading into the kitchen. He set the water to boil on the stove and filled a glass at the sink before heading back into the living room. Caleb sat on the edge of the couch and gently shook Molly. “ _Schatz_ , wake up a moment so you can take these.”

Molly mumbled something and pulled a blanket over his head. Caleb huffed a laugh and tugged the blanket back down, ignoring the scowl Molly tossed him. “I know you just want to sleep, but you need to take these first. They will help you feel better.”

Molly grumbled but pushed himself upright with a wince, taking the blankets with him, and accepted the pills Caleb handed him, along with the glass of water. He swallowed the pills down with a sip of water and a grimace, and handed the glass back.

“If you can wait a moment to topple back over, I will bring you tea and you can lay on me if you wish.”

It was a tribute to how awful he must have felt that Molly hesitated; there were few things he generally liked more than using Caleb as a pillow. Eventually he nodded, pulling his blankets further around himself. “Okay.”

Caleb squeezed his hand, then headed back to the kitchen to pour the water for the tea, setting a timer on his phone as he carried the mug back with him to the living room. He set the mug down on a coaster on the side table, and settled at the end of the couch, patting his lap. “Alright, _liebling,_ why don’t you lay down again?”

It took a moment for Molly to process the words, and then he was laying down, wriggling until his head was cushioned on Caleb’s thigh, mindful of his horns. Caleb reached over and pulled the blankets up to Molly’s chin and rested a hand lightly on Molly’s ribs, petting him gently. “Why don’t you rest a bit more, and I will tell you when your tea is ready?”

There was a muffled response from under the blankets, and Caleb smiled, fondness fizzing in his chest.

When his phone buzzed a few minutes later, he turned the alarm off and reached for the mug, managing to remove the tea ball from the mug without dislodging Molly in the process.

He gentled his fingers through Molly’s hair, scratching lightly at the base of his horns. “Molly, your tea is ready.”

Molly groaned and turned over, pressing his face into Caleb’s stomach. “Ugh.”

“I know, but you should try to drink some. It will help your throat, and you need to stay hydrated.”

Molly grumbled something unintelligible into Caleb’s shirt, but forced himself upright, arms shaking as he disentangled himself from some of the blankets. “Fuck you and your logic.”

Caleb handed him the mug with a smile. “I will take that under advisement, _liebling_. In the meantime, drink your tea.”

Molly pulled the mug close, hunching over it and taking a deep breath from the steam wafting off the top. He took a careful sip, then let out a sigh. “I’m sorry I’m so grumpy, love. I just feel terrible. And we were finally going to get to see each other. I’ve been waiting all _week_ , we were going to _do_ things-”

“Well,” Caleb put an arm over Molly’s shoulders, pulling him in to lean against his shoulder. “We can _still_ do things, just maybe not the specific ones you’ve been thinking of. Or at least not until you’re feeling a bit better. And you do not need to apologize. Just rest.” Caleb turned and placed a kiss on the top of Molly’s head.

Molly took another sip of tea and hummed appreciatively. “You’re a pretty great boyfriend, you know that?”

“You may have told me once or twice, yes.”

“Hmm. Need to tell you more often.”

They watched tv for a little while longer before Caleb noticed Molly’s head drooping, and rescued the mug from his lax hands, setting it on the side table. Molly roused at the movement with a quiet noise of discomfort, and Caleb hushed him, urging him to lay down again, and petting Molly’s hair once he was settled with his head on Caleb’s lap. “Sleep, _liebling_. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Molly nuzzled for a second against Caleb’s thigh. “Love you, _cariad._ ”

Caleb made sure the blankets were properly situated over his dozing boyfriend. “Love you too, _schatz_.”

**Author's Note:**

>  _schatz_ \- treasure/sweetheart  
>  _liebling_ \- darling  
>  _cariad_ \- sweetheart
> 
> Not gonna lie. This whole thing started because I wanted an excuse to give Beau the text handle 'BlueMeanie'. 
> 
> Feel like yelling at me, flailing, or just saying hello? Come say hi to me on tumblr at [Analisegrey](http://analisegrey.tumblr.com/) or on twitter at the same handle. :)


End file.
